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urbanization
[urbanization - Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Suburbia
anymore!]
The tides have turned in the last 20 years and people are
returning to downtown.
Unlike many cities with downtowns that seem more like ghost
towns that lost the fight against mega malls and suburban
shopping complexes, Columbus has managed to create a unique
downtown environment despite developments like Easton Town
Center and Polaris Fashion Place. In the face of adversity, the
city bounced back to make urban living an attractive concept
once again.
After World War II, suburbs began springing up at a rapid rate.
With more people owning cars, families no longer had to live
close to work. Those who could afford an automobile opted for 20
to 30 minute commutes in exchange for open spaces, leaving the
city to lower income residents still dependent on public
transportation.
As a result of this exodus to the suburbs, many
downtown
Columbus neighborhoods like
German Village,
the
Short North,
Victorian
Village and
Harrison West fell into disrepair leaving abandon or
dilapidated housing and, with all the money in suburbia there
was little incentive for new businesses to move in. In the 1960s and 1970s each area eventually caught
the eye of various groups interested in preserving the city’s
heritage by trying to salvage these historic neighborhoods. In
restoring and reinvesting in these downtown districts, artists,
students, and eventually business owners slowly started moving
back in to build the areas up making the downtown area, once
again, an enviable place to live.
This shift back to urban living created a demand for housing. In
addition to refurbishing existing buildings, there has been a
push to build new condominiums, lofts, single-family homes and
apartment communities, and Columbus has stepped up to meet this
demand head on. Those looking to live the urban life can find
everything from affordable housing for students to high-end
condos, lofts and homes for sale, making the demographic in each
neighborhood diverse.
Many of Columbus’ urban areas have undergone changes over the
years that have transformed rundown, crime-ridden neighborhoods
into cultural Meccas, attracting a wide range of urban dwellers
from students and young professionals to retired, empty-nesters,
the international community and the gay community.
In 2005, a
Columbus Community Report put out by the City of Columbus,
reinforced the fact that urban living is on the rise. “After
just three years of focused investment and hard work, people are
moving back downtown, office spaces are being filled and new
restaurants are winning praise and packing patios,” the report
states. “Downtown is
becoming one of the region’s most exciting places to live, work
and play. You can see it in moving trucks pulling up in front of
the new lofts and condos sprouting up Downtown. And you can feel
it in the air at the new North Bank Park, the
Arena District
or as you walk
under the scaffolding at Broad and High.” Some of the goals set by the City of Columbus have
been to build more housing downtown, add jobs in the downtown
market, create new neighborhoods on Gay Street and in the
Riverfront District, develop a Riverfront Park system and
improve transportation. According to the 2005 report, the city
is well ahead of schedule.
In addition to housing and jobs, the report sites a boost in
existing downtown businesses as a result of the housing boom
with plans to see new retail establishments increasingly popping
up.
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